Small manually operated winches have innumerable applications and are used for a multitude of tasks including raising and lowering flags on flagpoles. Once a manually operated winch has been used to move an object, such as raising a flag, it is often necessary to block the winch in order to secure the object in its new position. It is also desirable to provide means for preventing a winch from free-wheeling if the winch crank is released after an object has been partially or fully moved.
In the past various mechanisms have been used to block winches and to prevent free-wheeling. For example, one commonly used method of blocking a winch is to mount a ratchet-type gear on the winch shaft that is engaged by a spring-loaded locking pawl. This mechanism allows the winch to turn freely in one direction while allowing rotation in the other direction only if the pawl is manually disengaged. The ratchet-pawl mechanism cannot, however, be used in the case of a winch that is mounted within a small enclosure, such as a hollow flagpole since the pawl would be difficult or impossible to reach within the enclosure. Another disadvantage of the ratchet-pawl mechanism is that it typically requires the use of both hands to disengage the pawl and rotate the winch crank when it is desired to move an object.
Various braking devices have also been employed as means for blocking winches and preventing free-wheeling. These mechanisms, however, tend to be complicated and prone to failure. The mechanisms employed in the past to block winches have also tended to be bulky and cumbersome and not suitable for use with a compact winch, particularly the type of winch that is mounted within a flagpole to raise and lower flags.
The apparatus of the present invention provides a simple and compact means for blocking a winch in position and preventing it from free-wheeling The apparatus of the present invention is adapted to one-handed use and is particularly suitable for winches mounted within enclosures. Moreover, the present invention has a minimal number of moving parts and is consequently reliable while simultaneously being inexpensive to manufacture.
Thus, the present apparatus and method for blocking a winch provides a technological improvement and economic advantage over past traditional practices and provides advantages heretofore unknown.